Rail-support



(NoModeL) w. B. POTTER.- RAIL SUPPORT.

m No. 571,454. Patented Nov. 17, 1896. W

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Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. POTTER, OF SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

RAIL-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,454, dated November 17, 1896.

Application filed August 25, 1896. Serial No. 603,917. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Supports, (D 420,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supports of the conducting or third rail of an electric railway, and has for its object to provide a readilyremovable support for such rails, which may be cheaply made and easily secured in position.

To this end I construct my improved railsupport as in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section; Fig. 2, a plan thereof, and Fig. 3, a detail.

In Fig. 1, A is the base of the support. 13 is a petticoat of porcelain or other suitable insulator. C is a metallic cap formed with a downwardly-depending flange engaging the petticoat and secured to it by cement, as shown in dotted lines. D D are lugs. The first of which, D, is formed integrally with the cap 0. The second one is formed independently thereof and has a slot 01, having abeveled under side. A tapered cotter-pin d is also provided, by which the lug D is secured in place.

The parts are secured in position as follows: The insulator is put in position on the tie. The rail is slipped under the lug D. The lug D is then passed through a hole in the cap C, and the cotter-pin d passed through the top of the slot d and hammered home. Its ends are then spread apart. To remove the insulator, the lug D may be readily removed and the insulator may be removed from the tie and slipped to one side without removing the rail from place, if desired. The lug D may be formed with a square shank, the corners of which would cut into the metal of the cap in the drilled hole as it was driven home, or frictional engagement of the cotterpin with the cap C may be relied upon to prevent its turning.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, an in sulator for a railway-rail, comprising a body of insulating material, a metallic cap having a fixed lug and a removable lug, the two lugs adapted to engage with the flange of the rail, and means for securing the removable lugin place.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an insulator for a railway-rail, comprising a body of insulating material, a metal cap having a fixed lug and a removable lug, the two lugs adapted to engage with the flange of the rail, and means, consisting of a slot through the shank of the lug and a tapered pin passing through the slot, for securing the removable lug in place.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of August, 1896.

WVILLIAM B. POTTER. Witnesses:

A. F. IVIAODONALD, E. W. CADY. 

